New to You and New to Me!

A high-end consignment store with parking, a website, and a blog--what more could a shopper ask for?! I had heard excellent things about New to You - The Chic Boutique ; however, I was really hooked when I read the section on their site that discussed the labels they liked, might like, and didn't like. Not only did I fully concur, but it was done oh so cleverly! I liked what I saw and continued to peruse their site only to discover that they had a blog as well. As a fellow blogette, there's truly nothing better than discovering a new fashion blog. All that being said, I couldn't wait to check out the actual store! Thanks to the Google Maps feature on my handy new HTC Mogul I had no problem finding the place, and there was a free parking lot in the back: the only thing better than free parking, is valet, but I'm pretty happy as long as it's free and easy.

Moving on to the matter at hand: the store itself! If you haven't gathered from my previous entries, nothing makes me happier than a well-organized, non-cluttered, consignment/vintage store; I like the feeling that the people at the shop have really put thought into the pieces that they're selling. I am happy to declare that New to You was a perfect example of this! There was a great selection of clothes, shoes, and bags that were in good condition and reasonably priced (their website does a much better job of describing the brands they carry than I ever could). They also had some snazzy Hermès scarfs and some rather handsome Pucci ties (excellent for headbands and/or belts). Everything was nicely organized and displayed, so you didn't feel overwhelmed and claustrophobic. The girls working there were wonderful and the shopping experience overall was quite pleasant! I definitely look forward to going back there, and with Christmas right around the corner it's a great place to pick up some unique designer gifts for a fraction of their original price. Of course, it's also a fantastic place to go look for a dress, shoes, accessories, etc. for all of those upcoming Holiday parties :)

So that's"New to You."

What's "new to me", is the aforementioned Mogul (Mo, if you will). In addition to managing my life for me, it is also equipped with one of those fancy digital cameras! The truth is, I have yet to join the millennium and purchase a digital camera, which is why this site is rather naked. Hopefully, since I have "Mo" now and actually have figured out how to use it (thanks to the help of my trusty life assistant) I will finally be able to spruce things up around here!

Weekend Recap

It seems like every day I hear about a new boutique, consignment shop, vintage store, etc. that I can't wait to scour! Often, though, I hear about a place that sounds amazing only to forget the name of the store or where it's located. Too many places were slipping through the cracks, so I started keeping a notebook of places I wanted to checkout. I include the name, address, phone number, website, hours, and any other info I deem necessary and I highly recommend doing the same; I don't know how I survived without it! I hope to check out at least one new store (window shopping only, I swear) a weekend and report my findings. This weekend, however, I managed to knock two off the list.

I don't spend a lot of time in Alexandria, so I'm not familiar with the stores in that vicinity. Recently I heard of two very intriguing stores, though, and decided it was worth an outing to Old Town!

The first store I visited was Treat. Personally, I'm very envious of my friends in NY that are blocks away from all those amazing sample sales. The girls behind Treat must have read my mind; Treat is a sample sale boutique! You may figure that since the items are from sample sales that the store is filled with 0's, 2's and size 5 shoes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they carried a wide variety of clothing and shoe sizes. In addition, they had multiple sizes in some of the pieces, which was also very exciting. The website claims they have 1/2 priced Chloe bags and they do! I saw a Chloe bag for around $600 with my own two eyes; you know I could never lie about something like that. They also carried Marc Jacobs, Tracy Reese, Theory, Joie, and Nanette Lepore just to name a few. Things are spaciously arranged, so you do not feel overwhlemed having to dig through piles of stuff, like you might at an actual sample sale. The store is a great concept and definitley worth a visit!

My next stop was a mere hop, skip, and jump away: Diva Boutique. Within 2 minutes of walking into the store, I was informed that everything was 10% off (it was their birthday) and clearance items were an additional 50% off. I also almost immediately found this great grey D&G dress, that I had to pry myself away from; needless to say, things were off to a good start. The store is in a former town house and every nook and cranny has something in it. In addition to a great selection of clothes (Chanel, Armani, Tocca, Tory Burch, and more!) they also had an entire wall of handbags (I noticed several Kate Spade bags) and a decent selection of shoes. It's also worth noting the fabulous decor in every room; everything is fun and girly, making for a great shopping experience.

My favorite thing about places like Treat and Diva Boutique, is that they are constantly getting in new pieces! Department stores only get new things a few times a year and most of the time you keep seeing the same items over and over again. The beauty of consignment-type stores is that you always have an excuse to visit, because they'll always have something new!